Untraceable

2008-Thriller/Mystery

I must have been in a phase a few months back on watching Thrillers and Mysteries due to most of my summer movie viewings. This one was another attempt to find the next 'Silence of the Lambs' 'Seven' or 'Perfect Blue' instead i ended up with 'Eagle Eye' and 'Firewall'.

The same ideas apply. On one side you have a government agency that is too far off to science fiction with billions of dollars worth of technology and techniques to isolate a suburban kid illegally downloading movies online and on the other side, a technological mastermind armed only with a basement full of Fancy looking hardware able to televised his killings online.

The measures from realism to insanely Sci-Fi is constantly crossed without a blink of an eye makes this film feel too much like a preachy sermon about "Don't Download illegally cuz our government is watching you" unless you are that one guy that they somehow cant monitor due to his devious skills as a government trained hacker.

All-in-All:
So far no such luck in the Thriller genre this year. This film falls flat on its face as a dumb attempt for advertising how well the government keeps track online of possible illegal activities. It may work for people that still type with their index fingers and barley know what an e-mail is but to most people its just too far off as unrealistic for a movie that's supposed to take place at current day.

Riko's Rating: D

Eagle Eye

2008-Thriller

I wasn't all that exited to watch this movie to be completely honest. This was the very same film that took "The Dark Knight" off of IMAX after all. With all the Spielberg buzz and Shia LaBeouf hype it was slated as the must see thriller of the summer.

So what happens with a film with all the buzz and endorsements the best of what Hollywood has to offer? How about a mediocre story, predictable plots, and cookie cutter characters? This film takes everything about fear of technology films like 'Space Odyssey' , 'Stealth' and 'Maccross Plus' (Just to name a few) about a sentient computer deciding that humanity is evil and its purpose is to destroy evil. Yea, that's just about it. No surprises there, the only difference is Shia's unique ability of pulling of the 'I don't know whats going on' face that he's known for and his nervous stuttering of words to show the audience how uneasy he is.

All-in-All:
To most 'Thrillers' the audience is expected to bring their brains into the experience and learn whats going on as the film progresses. This is no such film. Is it entertaining? yea, sure. Is it a graphical power house? nope, most of the scenes are covered in darkness and the details are too hard to see. But the main Question that is posed is, was it worth the $10 admission or worth the $19-$35 price for DVD/Blu-Ray? the answer is a "NO" don't waist your time, rent in if you have to but don't waist your time with this unless you want to have another DVD in your collection to collect dust.

Riko's Rating: D

Funny Games

1997-Austria
Thriller/Horror

I placed this film on my Netflix list possibly a year ago. I noticed it a few months ago and decided to give it a shot. I didn't really know too much about this film, outside of cruel and horrible acts, and that it was a forgin film.

Synopsis:
Two psychotic young men take a mother, father, and son hostage in their vacation cabin and force them to play sadistic "games" with one another for their own amusement.

All-in-All:
I loved the way the film properly portrayed a 'Realistic' family trying to deal, and the villains outlandish unreal elements. The pacing can be called ridiculous because of some scenes drag (there was one scene i recall lasting for over 6min. with no movement or dialogue). I understand giving actors time to emote as well as directing realism by 'experiencing' the characters 'beats' but it was too much. The end of the film robs the viewers of a solid ending, instead the viewers are forced to accept the events. The constant breaking of the 4th wall was tactless and at often times offencive to whats going on the film.

Riko's Rating: C

Dexter

Season #1

2006/ TV Drama-Thriller

In an odd turn of events, getting into Dexter was a tale of its own. I was in a Serial Killer mood a few months ago and decided to watch something in that vein then along came Dexter.

I didn't watch the series till a few months later (yea, when i no longer had the 'twitch' of the genre) and this series blew my mind.

Synopsis:

During the day, Dexter Morgan is a jovial employee in the Miami Metropolitan Police Department's crime lab, but his meticulously crafted life masks his true nature. In reality Dexter is a disciplined and murderous psychopath (a self-admitted "monster"), and he slakes his blood lust at night by carefully killing the serial killers he tracks down during the day.

All-in-All:

Great series. The acting was average but defiantly Dexter stole the lime light the whole time.

Never have i seen a Serial Killer so lovable and relateable since this show that i couldn't wait for the next episode. Season 2 is out, but unfortunately do the Law of the House, we wait for the season to come out on DVD... have i forgotten to tell you to watch this show yet? if i forgot then I'm telling you now.

Riko's Rating: A+

Starship Troopers 2

2004-Sci-Fi

Its been years since I've seen 'Starship Troopers'. The original film reminds me of a time when summer blockbuster films were simple, and cool graphics were enough to warrant any bad film to at least a viewing. I had lots of fun with the first film. But now, 7 years later, the sequel finally sees light of day. I came into this film expecting the worst, and it held true to its promise.

Synopsis:

A small group of troopers find themselves taking refuge in an abandoned outpost as they attempt to fight against the encroaching arachnids, not realizing that a much graver danger is actually infiltrating their unit.

All-in-All:

Coming into this film, i knew what to expect. Straight to DVD, instantly I was treated with lower budget and bad CGI of the Aliens/Bugs. The acting was high school at best, but the plot was different. Different in a manner of someone replacing my Starship Trooper DVD with an 'Aliens' like movie. Instead of getting treated with legions and legions of Bugs you are shocked with body snatchers and a closed in facility. Nothing like the original series. Because of this, this film was actually a surprise and viewable even though the story was still predictable and characters 2 dimensional.

Riko's Rating: C

Be Kind Rewind

2008-Comedy

I admit i like Jack Black. The man is hilarious in his music, and acting even though he plays the same roll over and over again (like most comedians today, I'm looking at you Will Farrel). This movie had to have been delayed for a while because i could have sworn that I saw the trailer for this February of last year about it coming out for the Christmas season. Too bad too, this film would have been perfect for the holidays.

Synopsis:

Jerry is a junkyard worker who attempts to sabotage a power plant he suspects of causing his headaches. But he inadvertently causes his brain to become magnetized, leading to the unintentional destruction of all the movies in his friend's store. In order to keep the store's one loyal customer, an elderly lady with a tenuous grasp on reality, the pair re-create a long line of films including The Lion King, Rush Hour, Ghostbusters, When We Were Kings, Driving Miss Daisy, and Robocop, putting themselves and their townspeople into it. They become the biggest stars in their neighborhood.

All-in-All:

I really enjoyed this film. More than i should have. The 'Sweded' theme and their original takes on the films were down right hilarious. I guess it relates to me in a lot of ways, doing the same things for church and personal fun. The story itself was just an excuse for some what of a trial that the characters had to overtake, and the reasons of the tapes getting erased was just a throw away plot. Now that i think about it, ignore the plot completely and just enjoy the chemistry of the 2 main characters and their antics. O-yea, did I forget to mention that Danny Glubber is in this film too?

Riko's Rating: A

Vantage Point

2008-Action/Mystery

I'm a fan of Forest Whitaker. I like that he has an odd presence on and off camera, I just don't know what to make out of him. Because of that I enjoy the films he is in (yep, even Ghost Dog). This was a film brought to the House by none other than our personal Technician Nick.

Synopsis:

President Ashton (William Hurt) is attending a global war on terror summit in Spain. Thomas Barnes (Dennis Quaid) and Kent Taylor (Matthew Fox) are two of the Secret Service agents assigned to protect him. This is the first action that Agent Barnes has been in since he took a bullet for President Ashton six-month earlier. We really dont know if Agent Barnes is up to the challenge of protecting the President. Shortly after President Ashton is escorted to the stage in the plaza by the Secret Service, he is immediately shot twice by a rifle from a window and falls to the floor. The crowd is in shock and chaos breaks out all over, especially, when bombs begin to explode. Howard Lewis (Forest Whitaker) is an American video-taping the event to show to his children that he was actually there at this historic event. He believes that he has the picture of the man who shot the President. Agent Barnes sees the tape and has a clue to that person. Several different people witness the event, and only through their eyes do we see the truth behind the assassination attempt.

All-in-All:

This film was surprisingly good. Just when the vantage points (perspectives) get tiresome suddenly things go amiss. The action was perfectly executed, and the plot threads are masterfully woven. But my favorite thing about this film is more of the 'behind the scenes' aspect of the shots were taken simultaneously. Each camera troupe following each individual actor doing his/her parts to the climax. This film is a great example of directors and writers thinking outside the box of the genre.

Riko's Rating: B+